Comparison of the character traits of Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai in "A Dream of Red Mansions".

Xue Baochai is an important character in "A Dream of Red Mansions". Her importance lies not only in the fact that she is one of the protagonists of the love tragedy of Bao, Dai and Chai, but also in the rich content contained in this artistic image and the innovative nature of this image.

There have always been different views on the character of Xue Baochai. Some respect the trees and suppress the trees, while others respect the trees and suppress the trees. The story cited above about Zou Tao and his friend Xu Boqian "swinging their fists" due to a heated argument is a typical example. Even today, there are still different opinions. Some people think that Daiyu is mean, narrow-minded, and petty, while Baochai is dignified, steady, gentle, honest, and open-minded. Some people think that Baochai is cold and ruthless, hypocritical and sinister, and is a "female Cao Cao". The same character image has completely opposite views. This is of course the reason why benevolent people have different opinions and the wise people have different opinions. At the same time, it also shows the complexity, richness and objectivity of the description of this image. So, how do we view this character? First of all, we must abandon personal prejudices and likes and dislikes, and conduct a specific analysis from the description and portrayal of the work.

It can be seen from the description of Xue Baochai in "A Dream of Red Mansions" that the image of Xue Baochai created by Cao Xueqin is a typical standard lady in feudal society. The basic characteristics of this image are that she is a loyal believer in feudal ethics, a conscious executor and a tragic martyr. However, this image of a feudal lady is complex and colorful.

As soon as Xue Baochai appeared, the author described her beauty and character. Her clothes are "not luxurious, but elegant", she has "good character and beautiful appearance"; "she is rarely taciturn, and people say she is pretending to be stupid; she follows the times and is humble." This summarizes her description. Adhering to feudal ethics and adapting to the individual characteristics of the environment, she outlines the outline of a feudal lady.

One of the outstanding characteristics of this character is that she loyally believes in feudal ethics; especially the slave morality imposed on women. She had repeatedly advised Jia Baoyu to follow the path of "official career economy" and "establish a reputation", which aroused Jia Baoyu's great resentment, saying that what she said was "bastard talk" and said, "A good innocent woman can't She has been studying for fame and reputation, and has become a traitor to the country." She also gave many feudal lectures to Daiyu and Xiangyun, such as "it is virtue for a woman to have no talent" and "chastity and tranquility are always the main thing". All these are enough to show that among the aristocratic girls in Grand View Garden, she is the one who is deeply poisoned by feudal orthodox ideas and feudal moral concepts. However, we cannot equate her with Jia Zheng, Mrs. Wang, Wang Xifeng and others and say that they are all feudal rulers. Although she belongs to the "master" camp, not only does she have no ruling power, but as a girl in a feudal society, she cannot even control her own destiny; everything must be at the mercy of her feudal parents. On the one hand, he is the "master", living a pampered life; on the other hand, he is under the oppression of feudal ethics. This is the particularity of Xue Baochai's social relationship. It is her special social status that determines the essential difference between her ideological character and Jia Zheng, Mrs. Wang, Sister Feng, etc. It is wrong to equate Xue Baochai with Jia Zheng, Mrs. Wang and others.

Another outstanding characteristic of Xue Baochai is that he is very worldly, that is, he is very good at people and dealing with the world. In the Jia family, a large family with complex factions and many contradictions, on the one hand, she adheres to the prudent and self-protective philosophy of "don't speak up when it doesn't concern you, shake your head when you ask, don't know"; on the other hand, she is good at handling interpersonal relationships, and People from all walks of life maintain a cordial, natural, appropriate and decent relationship; as Zhi Ping said: "When dealing with people, they are neither close nor distant, neither far nor close. People who are disgusting will never show indifference, and they will show all their sounds and looks; People have never seen the affectionate expressions." In this seemingly impartial attitude towards life, she paid special attention to trying to figure out and cater to the wishes of the rulers of the Jia family in order to win their favor. Aunt Zhao and others who looked down upon her did not show indifference and contempt, so they were praised by various people in the Jia family. Mother Jia praised her for being "steady and peaceful"; Aunt Zhao, who never praised others, also said she was "generous". Even the little girls get close to her.

In Xue Baochai's character, there is indeed a hypocritical and hypocritical side. She loves to please and flatter people. Jia Mu wanted to celebrate her birthday and asked her what plays she liked to listen to and what she liked to eat. She knew very well that the elderly liked lively dramas and sweet food, so she answered according to Jia Mu's usual hobbies. She even flattered Jia Mu in front of her.

She said: "I have been here for so many years, and it seems that Feng Yatou, no matter how clever she is, is not as good as the old lady." As a result, Jia Mu praised her greatly: "When it comes to sisters," "From the four of our family Even girls are not as good as Bao Yatou." After Jinchuaner committed suicide by throwing herself into a well, Mrs. Wang felt uneasy. She comforted Mrs. Wang and said: Jin Chuan will not commit suicide; if he does commit suicide, he is just a confused person. It would not be a pity to die. Just give him a few more taels of silver. Mrs. Wang said that it would be inappropriate to use the clothes prepared for Lin Daiyu's birthday to wrap up the deceased, for fear of her taboo, so Xue Baochai took the initiative to take out his newly made clothes and give them to Mrs. Wang. This passage not only writes about her trying to please Mrs. Wang, but also shows how ruthless this believer in feudalism is. In the episode of "Shou Yi Hong Qun Fang's Night Banquet", the toothpick she picked up during the drinking ceremony was painted with peonies, and there was a poem on it: "No matter how ruthless it is, it is also moving." According to the standards of feudal society, Xue Baochai was called the most beautiful woman, but he was also said to be "ruthless". "Ruthless" means that she is a believer and practitioner of feudal morality; "also touching" means that she is just beautiful. Maru said Leng Xiang, which may imply that she is not an enthusiastic person. But being "ruthless" and unenthusiastic does not mean being sinister. Shuiting flutters at the butterfly, and it is natural to see that she has a scheming mind. But the purpose was to make Xiao Hong and Zhui'er think that she had not seen those intimate words and did not intend to frame Lin Daiyu. The borrowing of gold training was not intended to make Mrs. Wang dislike Lin Daiyu. In doing so, she completely followed the feudal philosophy of being wise and protecting oneself, which naturally showed her hypocrisy and selfishness. The hypocrisy shown in her thoughts, words and deeds is mainly due to the hypocrisy of feudal morality itself. Her mind is soaked in feudal ideas, and she is a lady who faithfully believes in feudal ethics and feudal ethics. She believed that acting in accordance with feudal ethics was a natural thing and the most moral thing; so she naturally achieved all the "four virtues". Some people say that Xue Baochai is "a big traitor but not a traitor, a big thief but not a thief", which probably refers to her faithful devotion and implementation of feudal morality; because this morality itself is hypocritical. She gained the trust of everyone in the Jia family and was finally chosen as Baoyu's wife. This was mainly the natural result of her character being adapted to the environment, and should not simply be regarded as due to her or Aunt Xue's machinations. victory. The view that all Xue Baochai's activities were a conscious and planned fight for Baoyu not only does not fit the description in the book, but also narrows the ideological significance of this character. In fact, her character is not sinister, nor is she always scheming, but she acts according to feudal orthodoxy, and she does it so unconsciously. That's like a fish in water. The hypocrisy people see in her is the embodiment of the hypocrisy of feudal morality. Xue Baochai's scheming is completely different from Sister Feng's duplicity.

The author's creation of the image of Xue Baochai is by no means just about a national thief and a powerful villain who is seeking fame; nor is he trying to create a hypocritical and reclusive "female Cao Cao"; or even more than just a Create a standard image of a feudal lady; but in the image of Xue Baochai, the author's complex emotions and deep emotions are entrusted: he not only praises the intelligence of this beautiful girl, sympathizes with her unfortunate tragic fate, but also deplores her She believed in feudal ethics like a slave and criticized her philosophy of "following the times". Therefore, what he wants to portray is the process of a young girl with dignified character, beautiful appearance, outstanding talent and profound knowledge, who is poisoned and even destroyed by feudal ethics. Because of this, the author's exploration of Xue Baochai's character does not stop here. Instead, he uses delicate brushstrokes to show the seemingly contradictory yet contradictory aspects of the beautiful and healthy elements and the stale and suffocating elements in her character. It's a wonderful unity. This is the fundamental characteristic of Xue Baochai's typical image. The deeper and more fully the author expresses this fundamental characteristic, the more deeply he exposes the spiritual poison and destruction of this girl by feudal ethics, and the more sharply he criticizes the "cannibalistic" nature of feudal ethics. In terms of profound criticism of feudal society, this image is no worse than the images of Jia Baoyu and Lin Daiyu, but the destruction of the former is the tragedy of a rebel, and the destruction of the latter is the tragedy of a martyr. However, they are all victims of feudal ethics. Although Xue Baochai's tragedy does not deserve people's sympathy, the critical significance it displays is very profound. Cao Xueqin's unparalleled wisdom is reflected here, as is the author's ingenuity in shaping the image of Xue Baochai. Only by starting from this fundamental characteristic can we truly understand these two artistic images.

When shaping the characters in "A Dream of Red Mansions", there is a prominent feature, which is to grasp the basic characteristics of the characters' personalities and repeatedly describe and depict them to make them stand out and distinct, and also revolve around this basic characteristic. The character traits are described and portrayed in other aspects, making the characters more complex and rich. Xue Baochai's image was also shaped in this way.

Xue Baochai is a typical feudal lady. In addition to her basic point of being a believer, executor and martyr of feudal ethics, her character is also reflected in many other aspects.

Xue Baochai not only has a good character and beautiful appearance, but is also naturally intelligent and knowledgeable. Her well-educated family environment and intelligent mind during her childhood resulted in her profound artistic accomplishment and extensive knowledge. She has extensive exposure and profound knowledge of literature, art, history, medicine, various schools of thought, and Buddhist classics. Even Jia Baoyu, who is known for his "miscellaneous learning", is far beyond her reach. For example, when Concubine Yuan returned to the province, she gave advice on changing the word "green jade" to "green wax" in Baoyu's poems, and explained the question about the "攔" tree in Xiangyun. She has a profound understanding of artistic creation and has expressed penetrating insights. For example, she pointed out when discussing painting that an artist must have a vision in mind before creating, so that he can cut and process the materials accurately and achieve the purpose of truly reproducing life; in her poetry creation, she proposed that "each has his or her own opinion." , "Be different from others" and "want to be novel and create a new perspective". Her views on being against imitation and imitation that follow other people's footsteps are undoubtedly insightful. Obviously, in these places, the author gave his unique insights into art to this talented girl.

Her own poetry creation is also quite distinctive. Among the poets in Grand View Garden, only Lin Daiyu can compete with her. She often won the championship in many poetry competitions. Her poems are novel in conception, profound in artistic conception, and have a graceful, elegant, implicit and vigorous style. In this way, the author endows Xue Baochai's image with a strong bookishness and a graceful poetic temperament. In these places, the author appreciates her.

The complexity and richness of Xue Baochai’s character are also reflected in some of her beautiful qualities. For example, she is considerate, fair, caring, considerate, and helpful. Once, Xiren wanted to beg Xiangyun to do some needlework for her. When Baochai found out, she immediately told her that Xiangyun "can't take charge at home" and "work until midnight" and "do it as soon as he comes." He complained that she was too tired to do anything, and blamed her for not being considerate for a moment, and took the initiative to take over the work Xiangyun was asked to do. Another time, when Xiangyun was about to open a cooperative as a proprietor, Baochai helped her organize a crab feast because her aunt complained about her expense. Therefore, this outspoken and generous young lady once sincerely praised Baochai: "Of these sisters, none is better than Sister Baochai. It's a pity that we are not the sons of the same mother - if I have such a biological sister, Even if you don't have your parents, it won't hinder you." Lin Daiyu, who was dependent on others, and Xing Xiuyan, who came from a poor family, also provided various help. Even for the servants of the Grand View Garden, she can be considerate of their situation of getting up early and going to bed late, and working hard all year round, and can plan a little extra profit for them.

Xue Baochai's attitude and role in the love and marriage of Baochai, Dai and Chai have always been an important part of analyzing the image of Baochai. In the minds of ordinary readers, Chai and Dai are love rivals. Some people even think that Baochai tried her best to compete for the throne of "Bao's Second Grandma"; it was she who "deceived Baoyu and killed Daiyu" and climbed On the throne of Second Grandma Bao. She has simply become the culprit who destroyed Bao Dai's love and the executioner who killed Lin Daiyu.

We cannot draw such a conclusion from the description of the work; what we see is the reality of life and art.

At the beginning of the relationship between the two, the news between them was indeed quite tense; when Baodai was a childhood sweetheart, and their love was sweet, a man with "good character and beautiful appearance" suddenly came. Xue Baochai, this must be a threat to Lin Daiyu; especially when the "gold and jade marriage" theory came into being, Daiyu felt that Baochai was a powerful love rival of hers. Therefore, she took advantage of every opportunity to cast hostile and sharp sarcasm at Baochai, and was always alert and secretly spying on Baoyu and Baochai. It is written many times in the book that when Baochai and Baoyu were talking, Daiyu either arrived in time or eavesdropped from behind. For example, when "recognizing psychics" and "recognizing golden locks"; when Baoyu looked at the incense string on Baochai's wrist; another time, Jia's mother told Bao and Dai that they were having dinner, and Eryu got into trouble, and Daiyu competed to go first. Gone.

Baochai's envoy persuaded Baoyu to accompany Daiyu to dinner; Baoyu said at that time: "Ignore him, he will be fine after a while." Afterwards, Daiyu repeated this sentence many times in front of Baoyu and Baochai, which shows that The conversation between the two was overheard by Daiyu behind her back; there are many such situations in the book. It can be said that the tension in the relationship between Chai and Dai is not caused by Baochai competing with Daiyu for the jade, but the result of Daiyu taking precautions to protect her love. On the contrary, Baochai took a wise approach to avoid being close to Bao and Dai. There are many clear descriptions of this in the book. It is said that Baochai, in order to compete for the throne of "Second Grandma Bao", monitored Bao and Dai everywhere and framed Daiyu, is inconsistent with the actual situation described in the book and has no basis.

But this does not mean that Baochai has no feelings for Baoyu. She has love and hatred for Baoyu, and she shows it from time to time. However, due to the severe constraints of feudal moral concepts, she did not even have the courage to express her hurt feelings in the painful and tortuous way Daiyu did. In her opinion, marriage matters are completely determined by the orders of her parents, and the words of the matchmaker, if she shows any Active intentions and actions are both shameful and immoral activities. Xue Pan said that she fell in love with Baoyu, which hurt her shame so much that she "cryed all night long". In fact, Baochai's closeness to Bao and Dai often shows a detached attitude of an outsider. When Baochai heard someone making fun of them, he often added a few words to make fun of them; sometimes he also made fun of them, without showing any signs of being sour or jealous. This was Chai Dai's attitude towards love issues before they reconciled.

To the surprise of some people, this pair of "enemies in love" finally reconciled, and the reconciliation came about because Daiyu took the initiative to admit her mistakes and admitted that "I was wrong in the past." Some people think that this is the victory of the conspirator Xue Baochai, and the naive Lin Daiyu was fooled. Is that really the case? Please read the chapter "Qiu Yuxi suppresses Qiu Yu's poems, and the golden orchid paintings reveal the golden orchid language". Baochai did conquer Daiyu, but not through conspiracy, but through the feudal ethics she loyally believed in. From this incident, Daiyu saw that Baochai did not use her "misbehavior" as an excuse to publicize it everywhere and make a fuss about it, but sincerely persuaded, talked to her, and enlightened her, thus eliminating her "suspicious habit" , took the initiative to make a gesture of reconciliation, and then further described the development of their friendship through chapters such as "Aunt Xue's loving words comforted the idiot". Their relationship was so close that it was "ten times better than others", and even Baoyu felt strange and "secretly amazed". The author writes about the establishment and development of the friendship between the two, and clearly eliminates the misunderstanding of Baochai's image - and at the same time the author's artistic conception. Baochai is not a clown who disrupts the situation, let alone a destroyer. The culprit of Baoliu's love. She and Daiyu are both victims of feudal ethics. In this way, the criticism is directed at the real culprit who killed Bao and Dai's love - the feudal rulers.

In the end, among Xue and Lin, the ruler of the Jia Mansion chose Xue Baochai, and Daiyu "died in tears". So, can we conclude based on this that this is the victory of Xue Baochai's conspiracy, and Lin Daiyu is the victim of the conspiracy? The previous analysis has given a negative answer. In fact, Jia Mu and others chose Baochai because they liked her "good character" and "steadiness and peace", and it was not the result of any conspiracy she played. If the marriage between Baoyu and Baochai is described as a "golden and jade marriage" that Baochai took great pains to create, it just denies the sin of feudal ethics that harms the happiness and life of young people. The fact is that after marriage, Baoyu "let go" and became a monk. The love and marriage entanglement between Baoyu, Dai and Chai ended up being a tragedy - a double tragedy for the rebels and believers of feudal ethics - Although the two have different meanings - they are both tragedies. It is really the so-called "dry red and crying", "all the beauty is the same sadness". This is the significance of the marriage tragedy in "A Dream of Red Mansions", and this is also the depth of the sins of feudal ethics it criticizes; this tragedy is not just a tragedy of character or love, but a social tragedy and a tragedy of the times. The artistic image of Xue Baochai is no less critical of feudal ethics than the images of Bao and Dai.